Senzo Meyiwa Trial: Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng Apologises for Remarks About Black Lawyers
- Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng apologised for the statements he previously made about black lawyers
- Mokgoatlheng accused black lawyers of having no ethical standards after one of the advocates representing one of the suspects in Senzo Meyiwa's trial did not show up
- South Africans slammed him and accused him of being an embarrassment and biased in the case
With nine years' experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun. Do you have a hard news story you would like to share? Email tebogo.mokwena@briefly.co.za with CA in the subject line.
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PRETORIA – Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng, who presides over the Senzo Meyiwa trial 10 years after the soccer player was murdered in 2014, has apologised for the comments he made about black lawyers.
Mokgoatleng apologises for anti-black lawyers' sentiments
@Chriseldalewis posted the apology from the Senzo Meyiwa trial session on 22 March 2024. This was after he previously accused black lawyers of not being ethical and professional when Thulani Mngomezulu failed to pitch in court earlier this week because he had another case to attend. He said that his comments were ill-advised.
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Read the tweet here:
What you need to know about Senzo Meyiwa's trial
- Senzo Meyiwa's trial started in 2021 after five men were accused of killing the former Orlando Pirates player
- Two of the accused claimed the South African Police Service beat their confessions out of them and a trial-within-a-trial was held
- Judge Mokgoatleng ruled that the confessions were made freely and voluntarily
South Africans drag Mokgoatlheng
Netizens called Mokgoatlheng out for the comments he made.
Roma said:
“Judge Ratha Mokgoatleng has celebrity tendencies. He likes the camera.”
Not Thabo Bester said:
“An application for his removal can be well entertained for being biased in favour of the state. There is enough evidence for that application because the judge has abused these attorneys for far too long.”
iBhudda said:
“That was irresponsible of him. Imagine if a white man said that. He would have lost his job. He must be fired.”
Matlho Mane said:
“This judge is an embarrassment! How many other ill-advised comments has he made from the bench in less prominent cases away from the glare of the camera?”
Thobie Sbhene said:
“Ratha must recuse himself. He is not fit for this case. He can’t hide that he is biased.”
Ntanzi's confession read in court
In a similar article, Briefly News reported that Senzo Meyiwa's murder-accused Bongani Ntanzi's confession was read in court.
This was after Ntanzi and his co-accused, Muzi Sibiya, accused the SAPS of forcing the confessions out of them. Mokgoatlheng ruled that they made their confessions voluntarily, and the confession was read in court.
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Source: Briefly News
